The RetroLounge Daily Poem Thread (Sat 11/25/06)

[RetroLounge]

China

From behind he looks like a man
I once loved, that hang dog slouch
to his jeans, a sweater vest, his neck
thick veined as a horse cock, a halo
of chopped curls.

He orders coffee and searches
his pockets, first in front, then
from behind, a long finger sliding
into the slitted denim like that man
slipped his thumb into me one summer
as we lay after love, our freckled
bodies two plump starfish on sheets.

Semen leaked and pooled in his palm
as he moved his thumb slowly, not
to excite me, just to affirm
he'd been there.

I have loved other men since, taken
them into my mouth like a warm vowel,
lay beneath them and watched their irises
float like small worlds in their opened eyes.

But this man pressed his thumb
toward the tail of my spine
like he was entering
China, or a ripe papaya
so that now when I think of love,
I think of this.

Dorianne Laux

***************

RL

If you have a request for a certain Poet, post their name in the thread and I will find a poem by them and post it...

if you want to see some of my poetry, see the blog at:
http://www.myspace.com/retropaul

[RetroLounge]

1. So no one wants to comment on this poem?

:shrug:

Well, I thought it was pretty damn good...

:kick:

RL

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. Holy god, my dear Retro.........

This is amazing!

I mean, talk about erotic! This one is over the top!

But it's quiet and comes at you softly......very surprising!

Mmmmm....yummy.......

Thank you, sweetie.......:loveya: :hug:

[BlueIris]

3. Ahem. Someone's been stealing from Sharon Olds.

Which is fine. What great writers do after all. And I know Dorianne is a huge fan. But still--Dorianne? I've read this one already. Get back to your own vision, woman.

[RetroLounge]

4. Well, I don't know about her vision

but this poem was found in a 1988 anthology called Deep Down, so it is not a new one.

She was probably reading Olds then too.

:hi:

RL